To Hell and Back
by Greywolf
Summary: AU. Seigfried is trapped in a rut until he is given the invitation to go on a fantastic journey around the world that will change his life forever. SeigfriedTaki, KilikXianghua
1. Escape from Drowning

**Author's Notes:** By the time you're reading this, it will probably have been sitting on my computer for a long while. Issues of time and resources are my biggest enemies.

Anyway, while plotting out how I was going to tackle the rewrite of Kindred Sprits (which I have come to thoroughly loathe), this idea struck me. I've always had fun with AUs. I don't know why, but they allow so much freedom to experiment and play around with the characters. And since my works outside of fanfiction tend to have a strong inclination toward action/adventure or horror, I thought I'd give a shot at an adventure story that didn't involve high fantasy for a change. I like to keep a nice palette of different works. Though I do try to work in some romance, as I'm a total sap on the inside.

Also, the album Holy Diver by Dio will be a nice recurring theme throughout the story. If you're one of my regulars, you know that I'm a big music fan. And while listening to Dio one day, it just struck me that a lot of the songs here would sound good in a story if properly applied. Ronnie James Dio's preoccupation with the struggle of good and evil is also one that I feel fits well with one of the focal characters of this story. If you can't guess whom, you'll hopefully know by the end of the chapter.

Moving on...

To Hell and Back

Chapter 1- Escape from Drowning

Seigfried combed his fingers back through his long blonde hair and sighed before raising the shot glass to his lips. His face twisted into a grimace as the gin burned its way down his throat, wondering if this was what the antiseptic in the medicine cabinet tasted like. A friend of his had once joked that cheap liquor was the flavor of pain, but that seemed less funny and more morbidly appropriate right about now.

How had he let himself sink this far? Unemployed, alone, boozed up, and out of touch. Dreams of a bright and shiny future had now turned into a reality of drowning as he wallowed in the wreck his life now was.

He had finished college, but had no job offers. His field was unusual, and there was little demand for it. Besides, he wasn't exactly tops in his class, either. Most people didn't want to have much to do with an Indiana Jones wannabe. Seigfried hadn't been on an adventure in two years. Twenty-four years old and already things looked bleak. So what did he turn to? Same thing most everyone else in archeology did eventually: alcohol. The bottle provided a little reprieve from the grinding rut that Seigfried's life had become.

He must have spent at least twenty minutes staring at the empty shot glass as the depressant worked its way through his system. He struggled in vain to remember the confident enthusiasm he had felt only a few short years ago. A few years that now felt like a lifetime. What had happened to him?

Seigfried knew that a large part of his rut was his own fault. He was still beating himself up for what was undoubtedly the greatest mistake he had ever made in his life. What he had done... His own father...

The electronic ringing of the phone abruptly pulled Seigfried from the trap of his own memories. He blinked once and came back to reality. He was still sitting there in his kitchen. The bottle of gin and shot glass still sat on the table, which was covered in trash, dirty dishes, and food stains. The waning afternoon sunlight filtered in through the windows, giving everything an orange glow that seemed to aggravate the headache that was starting to creep out from inside his skull.

The phone rang a second time.

Seigfried pushed a sigh out of his lungs, his lips parting involuntarily from the rush of air, as he slowly pushed himself out of his chair. Was it really worth it? Probably just the bill collectors trying to intimidate him into paying up again. Either that, or his ex-girlfriend who had broken up with him last week calling to tell him to pick up whatever other junk he had left at her apartment.

The third ring.

Good god, that noise was starting to piss him off. Seigfried decided to answer it just to make it stop. It was about the only degree of control he had left in his life. Might as well take advantage of it.

A fourth time.

Lumbering out to the living room, Seigfried rounded the corner and snatched the phone off its cradle on the end table. He took a moment to collect his thoughts as he brought it up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked in a throaty voice after a brief pause.

"Hello," came a female voice from the other end. "Is this Seigfried Schtauffen?"

"Speaking." The way his head was starting to feel, he wanted to keep this conversation as minimalist as possible. Just let whoever this woman was deliver whatever ultimatum she had and shut up.

"Excellent," came the voice. Her smile was practically audible, and sounded like a chorus hit in his head. "Mister Schtauffen, my name is Sophitia Alexandra. I'm looking to hire a man of your credentials to assist me in an expedition."

Seigfried looked at the phone in disbelief, as if the earpiece could provide some sort of answer. "'Scuse me?" he said at last, his voice still hoarse.

"I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" Sophitia asked gently. She didn't seem to realize that he had been in a drunken haze for nearly two days straight.

Seigfried rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his eyes and groaned. "No... no, I'm just... feeling a little under the weather," he half-lied. "What were you saying about an expedition?"

Sophitia seemed to accept his lie and continued. "Actually, I'd prefer to speak to you in person. Are you busy tomorrow at three PM?"

"Uh... no," he answered. "L-let me get a pen." A pen and notepad sat by the phone to take down messages and the like. It hadn't been used in almost a year. Seigfried scratched the margin a little, trying to get the ink to start flowing again, and ended up putting several grooves and tears in the paper before the pen finally started working. "Okay, where do you want me to go?"

**-x-**

The next day, Seigfried drove down the street in his beat-up Saturn. He had taken the time between then and the phone call yesterday to sober and clean up. This woman was going to offer him a job. He couldn't afford to screw this up.

Glancing at himself in the rearview mirror, Seigfried marveled at how much of a difference his preparations had made. He had showered and shaved for the first time in two weeks, helping him look and feel human again. His long blonde hair had gotten its sheen back and was currently tied in a ponytail. His strong, Aryan features were a little pale due to his self-imposed solitude, but he was still in relatively good shape. He'd have to start going to the gym again, though. He had dressed in khaki slacks and a black polo shirt, since that was currently the most respectable outfit he had. Everything else in his wardrobe was either black, made of denim, sported the logo of something on it, or any combination thereof. Luckily, there had been one last chaser caplet left in the medicine cabinet. It didn't fully erase the signs of his hangover, but it made it look like he was just pulling through from a bad fever or something. Better than nothing.

At last, Seigfried pulled up to a fancy-looking Victorian house on a cobblestone road. It looked to be about a hundred years old, but still in perfect condition. There were three floors and a loft, two towers, a gable roof... it was like a miniature castle. The antique Rolls Royce in the driveway looked like it cost more than his whole apartment. He arched a brow and double-checked the address on the scrap of paper in his pocket. "You're kidding me" he said to no one. This Ms. Alexandra was apparently loaded. This only solidified Seigfried's resolution to get the job, whatever it was.

He turned off the car and slowly walked up the path. He gave his ponytail a quick tweak out of nervousness, straightened himself up and rang the doorbell. The soft sound of chimes floated out from behind the front door, and in only a few moments, it opened inward. The woman standing there holding the door was not what Seigfried had expected at all. Not that it was a bad thing. She was Asian and almost as tall as him, perhaps an inch taller. She had almond-shaped russet eyes and jet black hair in a high ponytail. Her skin was even paler than Seigfried's, and seemed to stand out in contrast to her hair.

Further accenting the contrast was her outfit. She wore a black dress under a red blazer with black heels. Seigfried had always considered himself a connoisseur of women, and mentally noted her curvy, buxom figure and the fact that her dress was high enough to reveal what was possibly the sexiest pair of legs he had ever seen. Without a doubt, she was among the ten hottest women he had ever laid eyes on. But that wasn't important right now...

He cleared his throat and locked his eyes onto hers to try and maintain a semblance of professionalism. "Afternoon, Miss..."

The woman extended her hand politely. "My name is Nanasawa Taki" she replied with only the faintest hint of a Japanese accent. "You are Mr. Schtauffen, I believe?"

Seigfried accepted her hand, briefly surprised by the strength of her grip, and nodded. "Yes. I'm not late, am I?"

"On the contrary," Taki answered in a somewhat brusque tone. "You're right on time. Follow me." With that, she turned on her heel and strode into the foyer.

Seigfried wordlessly followed, shutting the door behind him. He was led down opulent halls and up the stairs, the decor making him feel very self-conscious of his own Spartan apartment and used car. He decided to allay his insecurity by focusing on something else. Specifically, Taki. The more he watched her, the more he came to the conclusion that she was in fact _the_ hottest woman he had ever met, or rather would be if she dropped the ice queen act. Her lovely face was a mask of stoicism and calm composure, and he couldn't help wondering what her smile would look like. He admired her hourglass figure and swaying hips with the attentiveness of a jeweler examining a diamond. He noted her catlike grace and confident stride and wondered if she studied martial arts like he had.

His thoughts were abruptly cut off when she stopped and turned to him, forcing Seigfried to snap his eyes back up to hers. "If you're done staring at my ass," she droned coldly, "Miss Alexandra is waiting for you in here." She then opened the door beside her and stepped in without another word.

Seigfried felt a little warmth rush into his cheeks. Did that woman have eyes in the back of her head, or was he really just that horny it was obvious? Pushing it to the back of his mind, he stepped into a small study. There were several bookshelves on the walls along with a few paintings, a couple of tables with various odds and ends, a pair of armchairs, and a desk in the middle. Taki was sitting in one of the armchairs looking very regal.

At the desk was Sophitia Alexandra, the woman who had called Seigfried out here today. She was a beautiful young lady with blonde hair in a braid and blue eyes. Unlike Seigfried though, her features suggested Greek heritage instead of Germanic. She was also dressed more casually, wearing a white skirt and blue sweater despite the warm spring day. She smiled softly and waved him in as she looked up from some paperwork she had been studying. "Good afternoon, Mister Schtauffen," she greeted him in a pleasant tone.

Seigfried walked in and sat in the opposite armchair. "Likewise, Miss Alexandra."

"I assume you've already met Miss Nanasawa, my personal assistant," Sophitia continued conversationally.

"Yes," Seigfried responded evenly, sparing only a glance in Taki's direction. She was giving him a very critical look, but judging by how Sophitia seemed to take it for granted, he got the feeling that this was fairly normal.

"Anyway, regarding why I called you here." Sophitia leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers together. "Are you familiar with a book called The Stage of History?" she asked.

Seigfried arched a brow but nodded. "Yes, I learned about it in college. First published in 1726 in Venice, Italy. Author believed to be the historian Gerard Funicello." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in an attempt to recall all the facts; his head still feeling fuzzy from his diminished hangover. "For the most part, it's considered nothing but a storybook full of fictional tales based loosely on children's stories and a handful of real events."

"Precisely," Sophitia commented with a smile as she looked ahead in thought. "I've made it my life's work to find out just how many of those stories are based in truth. And I believe I've found one."

Seigfried blinked twice. "Beg your pardon?" She couldn't be serious. She may as well have said she was looking for Atlantis.

"The legend of Soul Edge," Sophitia explained. "The Sword of Salvation. There was a real world equivalent to that blade in history, I'm certain of it. I intend to get all the facts. This is where you come in, Mister Schtauffen." At this, she leveled her gaze directly at Seigfried. "The expedition we'll embark on will require a full crew of different individuals, and I'll need someone with your skills."

Seigfried furrowed his brows slightly. This woman had to be a lunatic. Then again, work is work. "What specific qualifications were you looking for from me?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

With that, Sophitia grabbed a manila folder and opened it in front of her on the desk. Inside were dossiers on several individuals, each with a head shot clipped to it. She pulled out his and began to read aloud. "Seigfried Schtauffen. 153rd in his class at Schwartzwind College. Spent two semesters overseas at the branch campus in Ohstreinsburg, Germany. Fluent in German, Norwegian, Latin, Greek, and Slovak. In addition to a degree in archeology, also possesses training in wilderness survival, navigation, orienteering, and holds a pilot's license. Traveled to Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Japan, China, India, Egypt, Greece, and Peru."

There was a pause before Sophitia looked up from the dossier and smiled. "That's essentially the short version. The expedition I have planned is going to take us around the world. I need someone with your experience for some of the more inhospitable regions we'll be passing through."

Seigfried stared a moment in consideration. This was crazy... but what other choice did he have at this point? What else could he do? He couldn't deny that he needed the work. His eyes trailed from Sophitia who looked at him hopefully to Taki who had the same critical gaze then back to Sophitia. "Anything else I should know before we're ready to leave?"

**-x-**

Taki suppressed a sigh of relief when Schtauffen left. The man was obviously a complete wreck, even though he was good at hiding it. She turned to her employer and closest friend. "Sophitia, are you sure we should bring him along?"

Sophitia just smiled as she stood and stretched out. "He's the only one with that kind of experience and training available right now. We don't have much of a choice, do we?"

This time, Taki didn't bother to hide the sigh, though this was one of resignation. "Can't say I care much for his attitude," she mumbled.

Sophitia just laughed. "You get this way whenever guys check you out. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were-"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence," Taki interrupted with a hint of exasperation.

"At least this one's cute," Sophitia offered. She only laughed again in response to Taki's glare. "Relax, I'm just joking."

Taki sighed again. "Sorry. I'm just a little tired."

"You helped me track down every prospective member of this expedition," Sophitia stated. "I appreciate all the work you've done for me. Why don't you take tomorrow off and relax?"

Taki gave a rare smile at that. She had grown to think of Sophitia as the sister she had never had growing up. And for family, you'd do anything. "Alright. But I still have my doubts about Schtauffen. He looks like he's about to fall apart."

Sophitia sat back down at her desk and slouched into her chair, something she would only do in the presence of her closest friend. "I know," she said simply. "He's clearly an alcoholic with a lot of personal problems. It's written all over his face."

Taki shook her head slightly. She sometimes forgot just how empathic her friend really was. Sophitia was a woman of few words more often than not, but she knew people. Taki often wished she was gifted so. Her powers of observation were well trained, of course. She could read details in someone's behavior like a book, but figuring them out on a psychological level was trickier. She was actually rather proud of herself for being able to deduce as much about Schtauffen as she had. But Sophitia seemed to be a step ahead of her once again. "How do you want to prepare him for the expedition?"

Sophitia seemed immersed in deep thought for a moment. "We're going to need to offer him a sense of belonging and companionship. No human can survive in a social vacuum." She said at last. She then smirked and added, "Which means you'll have to be nice to him."

Taki just grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, though," Sophitia continued, "I get the feeling he has a lot on his shoulders right now and no good way to get it all out. See if you and the others can find some way to get him to lighten up. After all, we don't even start our journey until February. There's plenty of time."

"Somehow," Taki mused, "I think Kilik and Maxi will be better at this than you or I." Now that she thought about it, as annoying as Schtauffen's wandering eyes were, he was still better than Maxi. That man was _far_ too forward. Kilik seemed reasonable at least. He looked like the type who could get along with anyone.

"Perhaps." Sophitia steepled her fingers again, one of several habits she would do when thinking. "How about you introduce Seigfried to the two of them tomorrow? I'll handle the last of the interviews."

Taki masked the frown she wanted to show. This wasn't what she had in mind, but it was probably for the best. "Alright. I'll contact them this evening and try to arrange something." With that, she stood up to leave.

At the door to the study, Taki paused and looked back over her shoulder. "Refresh my memory. Who's left on the list?"

Sophitia flipped through the dossiers a moment before answering. "Let's see... We've already recruited Kilik, and through him we found Maxi, Xianghua, and now Seigfried... The last ones are Rock Masters, Isabella Valentine, and Raphael Sorel. They're all overseas."

Taki nodded once and walked out, shutting the door behind her. It was over half a year from now that they would all begin their journey together. She had to use that time to help Sophitia make arrangements for traveling as well as get to know those she would be working with. Her work was only just beginning.

**-x-**

**Author's Notes:** I decided to finish this up when I hit a block writing the next chapter of Singin' Hound Lounge (which, by the way, should be up in another couple of days). Needless to say, with all of my other projects, it's going to be slow going, though I hope to finish up Singin' Hound and Lights, Camera, Action! some time in the next couple months.

Outside of all of this, I also have to write a screenplay for a friend of mine, and combined with schoolwork, that's going to eat up a lot of time. (sigh) Nothing's ever simple is it?

PS- And once again, I find myself going back to fix a chapter because the site's document manager decided to erase half of the punctuation. Who can I complain to about this?  



	2. Into the Horizon

**Author's Notes:** Holy shit, it's been a busy week. I feel swamped all the time, and I can only get any writing done after sunset. I think better in the darkness, as I may have already told some of my regular readers. But even still, I'm trying my damndest to break down a massive block forming, and the more pressure that gets put on me to write, the worse it gets. I need to get out and let things happen to me, but I don't have the funds to do that right now. I'm going to hit my relatives up for a little cash during break in March and pay them back over the summer when I have a job.

In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can get a job giving tours of campus to prospective families and future students. But this is all neither here not there...

To Hell and Back

Chapter 2- Into the Horizon

Seigfried woke up around noon the next day. His sleep schedule was horribly off-balance, but he had over half a year to fix it. Speaking of fixing things, he looked around his bedroom and realized how badly everything around him had fallen apart. The hamper by the door hadn't been used in god knows how long, and instead all of his clothes lay scattered haphazardly all over the floor, none of them actually clean. The computer on his desk hadn't been turned on in weeks, and the blinds over the windows were starting to cake with dust from disuse.

Seigfried heaved a sigh and slowly dragged his hand down over his face as if to pull all of the sleep out and wipe it aside. He slowly stretched out and got to his feet, staggering toward the bathroom, eager for another shower that would restore a feeling of life to his muscles like yesterday. That and some time at the sink to sort his thoughts out. When he had lived in a suite at college, his roommates were grateful for the fact that there were two bathrooms, otherwise they'd have to schedule who got it when. Although Seigfried was often done showering within five to ten minutes, he could take over half an hour at the sink. Some of them joked that his long hair was turning him into a woman, but he didn't care. It was the one time of the day where he could just stand by and think with nothing else to distract him. He had been known to spend over fifteen minutes shaving on occasion, just slowly dragging the razor along his jaw and staring at his reflection in deep thought until his face was as smooth as polished marble. That's the kind of relaxation most people wished they could find.

Today in particular took Seigfried longer than usual. He spent over an hour in the bathroom this time. By the time he stepped out, clad only in his black boxers, the clock on the wall read 1:24. He took a moment to survey his apartment with a somewhat cynical frown. The place was a goddamn sty! Amazing how being completely shitfaced for weeks could dull your sense of perspective. He grabbed what looked like the cleanest pair of jeans in the whole apartment off the back of the sofa and slipped them on, trying to decide where to start with the clean-up.

Seigfried was pulled out of his thoughts by the doorbell ringing. He furrowed his brows in confusion. Who the hell would be visiting him? He crossed over to the door as a boisterous voice floated through. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Seigfried peered through the peephole in the door to see two young guys about his age, perhaps a little older, standing outside. He didn't recognize either of them. One was dressed in khakis and a red shirt and had shaggy brown hair. The other was olive-skinned, slightly taller, and wore white. He kind of looked like a pimp. Who the hell were these people? May as well find out...

Seigfried opened the door to the limit of the flimsy chain lock and peered out into the hall. "Who the hell are you?" he asked bluntly.

The two men exchanged a brief glance. "My name is Kilik," the first one said. "This is Maxi. You're Seigfried Schtauffen, right?"

"That'd be me," Seigfried drawled in reply.

"We're part of the expedition, too," Kilik explained. "Just thought we'd stop by and say hi. If you're not busy, that is."

Seigfried arched a brow slightly. "How the hell did you know where I live?"

"Taki gave us your address," Maxi replied. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Seigfried ran a hand back through his damp hair and opened the lock so that the two could get in. "Just give me some warning next time." He moved back toward the living room to try and resume cleaning the apartment. "Just so you know, the place is a mess. You caught me trying to clean it up."

The two walked in and Maxi just waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly. "Everyone always says that when they've got compan- holy shit!" His tone had abruptly gone from casual to shocked in mid-sentence.

"Longest drinking binge I've ever been on," Seigfried remarked as he began gathering up clutter. He glanced up to see the stunned expressions on Kilik and Maxi's faces and smirked. "Yeah, I know. The place looks like a war zone. So anyway, why did Miss Alexandra call you guys in for this expedition?"

Kilik recovered first and shook his head lightly to clear it. "Well, I specialize in Asian history, and we'll be spending some time in China and India among other places. The Sword of Salvation really got around, it seems. Maxi here is a linguist and has naval training. You?"

"Wilderness survival skills and an archeology degree," Seigfried answered as he slipped on a (relatively) clean Judas Priest T-shirt and stuffed the rest of the clutter into the hamper and the laundry basket he kept under his bed. Since when did he own this many clothes? He glanced out into the living room to see Maxi poking at the sofa with the TV remote. "Dude, will you relax? It just needs a little cleaning."

Maxi looked up, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline. "Dude, please don't call me dude. Also, this couch is pretty far-gone. It's stained with things I don't want named and smells like cheap whiskey. I'd give it a funeral pyre, but with all the alcohol and god-knows-what-else trapped in there, the flames would be visible from orbit."

Kilik shot Maxi a warning look and rolled his eyes. "Don't take anything he says personally, Seigfried. He likes to bust people's balls."

Seigfried just shrugged casually. "Eh. I don't really care." He strode off to the kitchen to assess the damage, knowing it would be far worse than how he remembered it yesterday when he was still slightly hungover. "Besides," he added with a smirk, "he's the one who just picked a bad day to wear white."

Maxi apparently chose to ignore the comment as he stood up and followed Seigfried into the kitchen. Though Seigfried did note with some amusement how Maxi tried very hard not to brush up against anything in the room, which was a complete wreck. "Anyway, man, you want to go out into town with Kilik and me? Stir up some trouble?"

Seigfried opened the fridge, recoiling slightly at the smell, and fished out the box of pizza he had ordered last night. He pulled out a cold slice and bit into it, talking around his mouthful of food. "Sure. As long as you guys'll pick up the tab, I could use some real food."

Kilik walked into the room at that moment and arched a brow at the disarray the room was in. "I'm guessing you're low on cash?"

"That's one way of putting it," Seigfried answered. "Another is that I'm flat busted."

"We'll just say you owe us one," Maxi smirked.

Seigfried chuckled in return. This was going to be a very interesting experience to say the least.

**-x-**

Seigfried spent the next few months getting his life back on track. He did a little temp work to pay his bills and started going to the gym regularly to get back into shape. He soon had his old athletic figure back and a healthy tan instead of looking deathly pale. He also took time to bond with the others. They were a rather motley crew to say the least, but they were all very intelligent and competent researchers in their chosen fields. All of them would have a part to play in tracking down the Sword of Salvation. That is, if it did in fact exist. Though he tried, Seigfried still had some nagging doubts in the back of his mind. Of course, the chance to get back into the world and get paid doing it was difficult to pass up.

Regardless, time went on as it always does. Before Seigfried knew it, he was sitting at the terminal at the airport on a chilly February morning and waiting for the plane to arrive. The team was split up amongst the seats, several of them off getting food or a book to read along the way. Seigfried and Maxi sat across from one another passing the time by watching passersby, specifically the females. Perhaps the greatest common ground the two of them had found was their mutual appreciation for beautiful women.

"Mmm, not bad," Maxi murmured appreciatively as a tall blonde with hair down to her (very nice) butt walked by in heels. "What do you think, man? She's Aryan, she should be right up your alley."

Seigfried chuckled at Maxi's stereotyping, knowing very well he wasn't serious. "She's pretty hot, but I still have a thing for Asian chicks."

Maxi's face split into a Cheshire smile and he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Like say... Miss Nanasawa, eh?"

"Well... yeah," Seigfried stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Have you looked at her lately? Silky dark hair, almond-shaped eyes, cute little mouth. She's got probably the sexiest legs I've ever seen and a great ass. Nice hourglass figure, breasts to die for, and..." It was then he noticed Maxi was looking over Seigfried's shoulder instead of straight at him, and that grin took on a whole new meaning. "And she's right behind me, isn't she?"

"You're a pig, Schtauffen." Jesus, you could freeze the Atlantic with her voice.

Seigfried craned his neck backward and saw an upside-down vision of Taki standing behind him in blue jeans and a red sweater that actually hugged her figure nicely. In one hand she held a steaming cup of coffee and the other gripped the strap of her laptop case. "Morning, dear." He knew at this point he was asking for it, but there was something irresistible about pushing her buttons.

Taki fixed him with an eerily composed glare. "If you want to wear this coffee, by all means keep talking."

Okay, either she wasn't a morning person, she was in a bad mood, or it was just that time of the month again, because she normally wouldn't threaten him. Regardless, he had gotten to her pretty quick this time. Better call it quits before she made good on that threat. Without a word, Seigfried pulled his head back to its normal position as Maxi burst into a fit of laughter. "Thanks a friggin' lot, buddy," Seigfried droned. He watched from the corner of his eye as Taki went and sat with Sophitia by the window, the two of them talking about... whatever it is women talk about. Seigfried silently mused over the strange behavior of women, specifically their tendency to halt a conversation the instant men came within earshot. Why did they feel the need to be secretive about it? He was jarred back to reality by the arrival of two of his other new friends.

"If it weren't for the violent threats," Kilik beamed as he and Xianghua walked up with paper bags in hand, "I'd think you two were an engaged."

Xianghua giggled, Maxi boisterously laughed, and Seigfried frowned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. She's not my kind of woman. She could be running a fever and she'd still be so cold she'd freeze the mercury in the thermometer."

"That was a stretch," Maxi remarked.

"Oh, give him a break," Xianghua gently scolded. "I never understood why guys always feel the need to rib each other over everything."

Seigfried couldn't help a light smile. Xianghua was fresh out of college, but still had a very girlish coyness to her. With her optimism, sunny disposition, and bubbly personality she had become a sort of "little sister" to the group. Even now she was unconsciously playing up the part with the little blue hair band keeping her brown locks out of her eyes and her Hello Kitty T-shirt.

In fact, now that he thought about it, Seigfried noticed how each of the team had a distinctive personal style they had cultivated. Maxi always wore at least a little white and swaggered everywhere. Kilik typically wore red and had an introspective detachment. And the others... They were all so different. But they each clearly walked to a different song. It was the first time in his life Seigfried had ever seen such a gathering before. It made him feel just a little self-conscious. Here he was, the son of two German immigrants, with an archeology degree and an Indiana Jones complex. All he needed was a fedora and bullwhip. And of course, being German he just had to be a recovering alcoholic. Could he possibly be any more stereotypical? Heaving a sigh, he slouched further into his seat, pulling his coat and duffle bag closer unconsciously.

"Hey," Maxi piped up, "I've been meaning to ask. Where'd you get that coat from, Seigfried? I don't think I've ever seen one like it before."

Seigfried glanced down at the heavy black wool coat beside him. "A friend made it for me a couple years ago. He's a tailor in New York City these days. Anyway, I got the idea from a book series."

"Wait a minute," Xianghua mumbled. Her eyebrows suddenly went up and she grinned like a little girl having a revelation. "Did you get the idea from The Wheel of Time?"

"Yeah," Seigfried nodded. "It's an Asha'man coat. You read those books, too?"

"Only religiously," she answered animatedly. "I thought that coat looked familiar but I couldn't figure it out until now."

"You both lost me," Maxi chuckled, "but that thing is pretty sweet. Your friend still do custom work?"

"I haven't contacted him in a couple months, but I can give you his card." Seigfried pulled out his wallet and fished through it a moment, knowing he kept one of Clive's business cards in there somewhere. He handed it over to Maxi with a smile. "Let him know you're a friend of mine and he'll take any request."

"Excellent," Maxi said with a grin as he took the card and read over it before pocketing it. "I need a new suit for when I go gambling over the holidays."

The boarding call was made and everyone proceeded onto the plane slowly. Their first flight was from Boston to London. One member of the expedition, Ivy Valentine, owned property up there that was linked to the Sword of Salvation, and she had agreed to help them all out. Apparently, she was going to meet them at Heathrow Airport.

Seigfried checked his boarding pass for his seat number, and looked up to realize to his dismay that he was sitting right beside Taki. Their eyes met and she was obviously still pissed at him for earlier. "This is a little too convenient," Seigfried deadpanned. "You get the feeling that this was planned by a third party?"

Taki said nothing. She merely pulled out a book from her backpack and began reading.

Seigfried sighed in frustration and stuffed his coat in the overhead compartment. He took a copy of The DiVinci Code and his CD player out of his duffle bag before stuffing that in with his coat. He finally too his seat and proceeded to try and make himself comfortable. At least Sophitia had gotten them first-class arrangements. He glanced over at Taki as he settled in, finding the negative vibe coming off her a little disconcerting. "Whatcha reading?" he asked conversationally.

Taki didn't even glance at him. Her eyes just continued mechanically moving back and forth across the pages.

"Forget I asked," Seigfried grumbled. He had met some pretty stuck up women in the past, but this was just ridiculous. She only acknowledged his existence to talk down to him. Whatever bug had crawled up her ass must have created a whole colony by now. Hmm... he'd have to remember that one.

He spared a sweeping glance out across the aisle, noticing that right across from him Kilik and Xianghua were seated together and talking animatedly. Lucky bastards.

Seigfried sighed once through his nose and put in his headphones. He had the album Holy Diver loaded in right now, one of his favorites. As the rip-roaring intro to Stand Up and Shout came on, he felt himself slip away again. This sort of music always helped. At times, Seigfried wondered if he was born too late and should have been a knight or something during the Renaissance, fighting the good fight against evildoers. It was a thought he would quickly dismiss as puerile fantasizing, but it was never gone for long. And it wasn't going away now.

The plane began to taxi onto the runway as the song ended, and Seigfried was instructed to turn off all electronic devices. Which meant he would be without his music for a few minutes. Which was where the book came in. Sophitia had recommended it to him the day before the trip, so he went out and bought a copy. It certainly seemed like it was going to come in handy, seeing as he wouldn't be having much conversation during this part of the trip.

As the plane lifted off, Seigfried got that familiar feeling again. One he always got when traveling. He left the ground, and felt like he was soaring off into a new horizon. A smile crept along his lips as he realized that it was finally happening. He was on an adventure once again.

**-x-**

**Author's Notes:** I decided to keep this one short. Next chapter, we meet Rock and Ivy. Things will start to heat up between Seigfried and Taki, and we get our first glance at Kilik and Xianghua's budding relationship.

You'll have to be patient, though. I'm going on a brief hiatus soon to recharge my batteries.

**anonymous:** There will be plenty of spotlight time given to Kilik next chapter. Next time, though, could you name yourself? I don't want to sound rude, but I feel weird responding to someone I can't place some kind of name to.

**Ashishu:** Thanks for the understanding. Writing in particular is a surprisingly exhausting process. That's why I'm taking a break before I burn myself out.

**Ben Stylin:** Don't let me stop you. If you want to write something, write it.

**...K:** (sigh) Look, I know you probably didn't mean anything by that, but it still bugs me a little when I hear people say that. If something's going slow, that doesn't mean I'm not serious about it. I have a life outside of this site, and a ton of work that goes with it. Not all of my writing projects are going to be these fics. I have two screenplays I'm working on right now, both of which I plan to make money off of. And take a look at how many unfinished fics I still have to work on when I can find the time. When people tell me to update more often, I'd like to give them an answer, but then I'd just sound like a broken record because my answer every time would be, "I wish I could."


	3. The Occultist

**Author's Notes: **It took me a while, but I'm getting back to work on my stories.

To Hell and Back

Chapter 3 - The Occultist

Heathrow Airport. No doubt one of the single most famous international airports in the world. English workers in uniforms littered the area along with a teeming mass of foreigners shifting and filing through like ants. And Seigfried was among them. Along with a collection of others of varying nationalities. A man of Pacific descent, a Chinese girl, a Tibetan man, a Greek woman... and, oh yeah, the Japanese hottie who treated him like dirt. The woman had been a total frigid bitch the whole flight. She blatantly ignored every attempt he made at conversation.

At least Kilik and Xianghua had gotten along. And Maxi was rather relentlessly hitting on the flight attendant girl after it was made clear Sophitia was completely disinterested in his advances. Other than that, the flight had been uneventful. He made nice progress on "The DiVinci Code" and figured he'd have to buy a couple more books while in England.

Sophitia said they would be meeting another member of the expedition at the baggage claim, Rock Adams. He was going to take them to the Valentine Estate where they'd be meeting Ivy Valentine, the last heir of the family. She was an occultist and apparently had knowledge that would be particularly useful in hunting down the Sword of Salvation.

However, Seigfried, Kilik, Xianghua, and Maxi were a little unprepared for when they actually saw Mr. Adams. Seigfried felt his eyebrows crawling up to his hairline along with his eyes. Jesus tap-dancing Christ on a crutch... That wasn't a man. That was a Panzer wearing Armani! The guy was easily seven feet tall and had shoulders broader than one of Seigfried's arms was long. Rock's arms and legs were like tree trunks and one could easily see the rippling muscles in his chest, abs, and back through his shirt and jacket which seemed to be a size too small on his giant frame. His face had a weathered, rugged look and his short brown hair was somewhat unruly along with a close-cropped beard. He held a sign a paper sign in his hands, each one nearly big enough to completely wrap around a football. It had Sophitia's full name scrawled on it.

"Mr. Adams!" Sophitia said cheerfully, wheeling her two suitcases behind her. "Good to see you!"

"The feeling is mutual Miss Alexandra," Rock answered in an impossibly deep voice. "A limousine is waiting for us outside."

"Wonderful! Let's go everyone!"

Seigfried had never been in a stretch limo before. Pretty swanky. It did make him feel a little self-conscious though, just as Sophitia's home had. The feeling only got worse as they approached the mansion where Ivy Valentine lived. It looked like a small palace. It had to be at least a mile from the gate to the mansion itself with a lake off to the left side. The cobblestone driveway was lined with hedges and topiary sculptures, all bear sticks and wires under the snow now. The place immediately seemed to conjure up the phrase "winter wonderland." A large fountain depicting angels in flight stood in front of the veranda, which was supported by marble columns.

Seigfried whistled appreciatively as he stepped out of the limo. "Damn this place looks expensive. I feel like I'm burning money just looking at it."

"No shit," Maxi remarked. "This really redefines up-scale living."

"Miss Valentine inherited this estate from the late Lord and Lady Valentine," Rock explained. "It's been in the family for generations."

"I've been meaning to ask," Seigfried piped in, "just what exactly is your... role here, I guess is what I'm thinking."

Rock glanced down at Seigfried, who suddenly felt very small. "I'm British ex-military, and Miss Valentine's personal bodyguard. I was asked to join the expedition as an expert in wilderness survival."

Great, as if Seigfried needed to feel any more insignificant? He was a competent survivalist, but how was he supposed to measure up to Goliath over there? He shook his head lightly as the group was ushered into the mansion where servants took their coats. Things better start looking up soon.

**-x-**

Kilik couldn't help but admire the surroundings. Though his specialization was in Asian art and history, that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the work in the Valentine mansion. There were elaborate tapestries on many walls, some of them original and others copies of Heironymous Bosch paintings. The thick carpets appeared to be handmade and were kept so clean they were almost sterile. Several rooms had high vaulted ceilings, while others had elaborate frescoes. The mansion seemed to acquire elements of various styles throughout the ages.

The group was eventually led into a dining hall big enough to seat a small army. They followed Rock to the end of a long table where he ushered them to take their seats. "Miss Valentine will be out shortly," he explained. "The servants will be bringing out lunch in a moment."

True to Rock's word, the group did not have to wait long. Only a minute later, a horde of servants came out with one platter after another of rich cuisine. It was like a Thanksgiving feast, and Kilik felt his mouth watering like an ocean. He would have gone straight for the baked ziti and scalloped potatoes had Rock's voice not interrupted him. "Please, don't help yourselves until Miss Valentine arrives."

Seigfried, who was sitting on Kilik's right along with Maxi, nudged him with his elbow. "When she comes out, it's every man for himself. I don't think we're gonna be eating like this for a while, so I'm just gonna stuff myself until it's hard to breathe."

"I'm with you, man," Maxi replied. "Care to take a wager on which of us can pack away the most plates of food?"

"You're on."

Kilik smiled lightly, but chose not to take part in the games. Seigfried and Maxi had become fast friends, so he decided to leave them to their bonding. He wanted to talk to Xianghua, but she was on the other side of the table with Sophitia and Taki. While waiting for their host, he mused over the rag-tag group thus far.

He already knew Maxi from his high school years. The two were good friends, though Kilik sometimes disapproved of Maxi's hedonist tendencies. He couldn't help but smirk as his friend continued to argue the stakes of his wager with Seigfried. Maxi's daredevil ways would one day be the death of him. He really needed to learn when to back down from a challenge. It was a given that this little eating contest would make him sick as a dog.

Sophitia was one of the more generous employers he'd ever had. She genuinely seemed to not only look for, but also find the best in everyone. She was obviously gifted with a keen mind and a way with people. Her quest for the Sword of Salvation was pretty... "out-there" as Seigfried had once put it, but she seemed to have faith that it was out there. She was an optimist in the best sense of the word.

Then there was her personal assistant, Taki. Kilik was more observant than many people gave him credit for. The way that woman moved, carried herself, the way she spoke and how she seemed to be critical of everyone... It was clear that in addition to being a personal assistant, she also served as a bodyguard or something similar. The woman was quite a mystery. She never spoke of herself, and she seemed perpetually cold to everyone other than Sophitia, Seigfried in particular.

Speaking of whom, Seigfried was a real piece of work. He was a dreamer coming to terms with a very unpleasant reality, and it wasn't good for his pride. It had taken Kilik and Xianghua a lot of effort to convince him to join AA. Not that Seigfried was a bad guy. He just had a lot of problems with pride and mental health. Whenever the topic of his past came up, he either tried to avoid it or dodged around certain periods of his life. There was something he was hiding.

Finally there was Xianghua. Everyone saw her as a little sister. Everyone but Kilik. If Sophitia was the optimist of the group, Xianghua was the conscience. She had a strong sense of right and wrong, justice and fairness. "Innocent" wasn't quite the right word to describe her, because that implied too much naiveté. "Pure" was more like it. Whereas many people became jaded and apathetic, she was still as passionate as the day she was born. If no other good came of this expedition, Kilik at least had the opportunity to know her. Even after the journey was over, he planned to say in contact, simply because her company was so refreshing and uplifting.

When Xianghua smiled at him with a light blush and waved from across the table, Kilik realized it was because he had been staring at her with a soft smile on his face. He cleared his throat to try and hide the fact that he also was starting to flush, and was luckily saved by the arrival of their host.

"Welcome to my home, everyone." Ivy Valentine was certainly not what he had been expecting. From what little he had heard, he was expecting a dark-haired, dainty English noble with her nose in the air. Instead, he saw a woman as tall as most men with platinum hair that barely reached the sides of her neck and nearly obscured one of her icy blue-green eyes. Her voice was refined and smooth like silk, but also possessed a haughtiness peculiar to aristocracy. She wore a pitch-black dress and a blood red jacket with stiletto heels that clicked sharply on the crushed shale tiled floor.

"If Jane Austen wrote a Gothic novel," Seigfried muttered to Maxi and Kilik.

"I thought you were into dark chicks," Maxi muttered.

"I am. Kinda like you."

"Guilty as charged."

Ivy turned her gaze to Seigfried and Maxi as she sat at the head of the table. "I heard all of that, you know." Her tone was neither accusing nor offended. "But this time, I'll take it as a compliment."

The two men in question were silent for a moment while Kilik and Xianghua both shook their heads in exasperated amusement. Sophitia stifled a giggle, while Taki sent a cold glare at Maxi first, then Seigfried and let it stay there.

Finally Maxi spoke up. "I like your attitude," he declared unashamedly.

Ivy smiled slightly in bemusement before looking to everyone else. "Please, help yourselves. Never let it be said the Valentines were stingy on hospitality."

That was all the encouragement Seigfried and Maxi needed as they began heaping their plates with whatever they could reach. It seemed Seigfried would win though as he was pacing himself by eating slowly while Maxi's arm took on a mechanical movement of stuffing one forkful of food into his mouth as soon as he'd swallowed the last.

"Please excuse our... colleagues' behavior," Taki said to Ivy while gesturing coldly to the two competing friends.

Ivy merely waved it off. "All men are like this at heart, whether or not they want to admit it. These two are less subtle about it, but there's no point in getting upset over it. Anyway, you've all met my bodyguard, Rock Adams."

"Of course," Sophitia answered as she scooped a few sweet potatoes onto her plate. "But I'm very eager to see your research. Your father was one of England's foremost experts on the occult."

Ivy nodded as she slowly chewed on a bite of liver. "Some of it rubbed off on me growing up. His life's work was a recapitulation of alchemy via modern technology and studies."

"You mean the quest for the philosopher's stone?" Xianghua asked.

"Not quite," Seigfried answered over a small mouthful of food. He washed it down with a quick sip of red wine and cleared his throat. "Alchemy is actually a pretty complicated subject. It's a science, philosophy, symbolism, allegorical literature... but all in the vaguest sense."

Ivy nodded with an impressed smile. "Have you dabbled in alchemy at some point, Mister...?"

"Schaeffer. Seigfried Schaeffer. I wrote a couple essays on the subject in college, but it's not really my field." He then turned to Kilik with a raised eyebrow. "Dude, didn't you say you'd read a couple texts on Chinese alchemy?"

Kilik chuckled lightly. "Years ago. Went in one ear and out the other, though."

Ivy nodded once. "Still, perhaps you gentlemen will be able to help me along the way. It takes a very open mind to research alchemy. But moving on..."

The meal went on for another hour as Ivy explained her research in the occult and her findings on the Sword of Salvation. There were a few isolated areas in England where the group would be traveling tomorrow to begin the search, hoping that the other amassed minds could fill in the gaps that Ivy's research had left. Kilik was very intrigued by the whole thing. Now that the journey was going to start in earnest, he felt an excitement that the events leading up to this moment had only hinted at.

All that remained now was to wait for tomorrow.

**-x-**

**Author's Notes:** As you can see, I have not abandoned this story. I just need time. I would write up personal responses to some of my reviewers, but as some of you already know, the admins of the site issued a new rule against that which I and many others want repealed and are working toward that.

Anyway, I'm reworking the story a little bit to add some more tense scenes, some more plot twists, that sort of thing. I'll try and get some more updates in in the future, but my serious projects are going to take priority because I plan to make money off of those.


	4. The Map Unfolds

**Author's Notes:** A neglected story that I do want to continue. I just wish I could play the game more often. Between work and all...

But anyway, yeah, I'm still going with this. Just be patient with me.

On a side note, I glanced back at some of the reviews for Kindred Spirits, and I don't know why people seemed to like it so much. It's awful! It's one of those things you look back on and wonder, "What was I thinking?" Not that I don't still support the concept. Seigfried/Taki for some reason gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. But my execution was so bad.

Anyway, I'm hoping this story won't disappoint. I originally was thinking of "The Da Vinci Code" when I sat down to start on this, but after reading some of James Rollins' novels, I now see what that book _should_ have been. If you're looking for a good adventure novel the next time you're in a bookstore, I highly advise you to check out "Map of Bones." That book rules! It's like Indiana Jones meets James Bond meets Marvel Comics!

To Hell and Back

Chapter 4 - The Map Unfolds

That night, Seigfried and several other members of the expedition took Ivy up on her offer to join them in her library for a drink. They spent most of the time getting to know her. On the one hand, she was a gracious host. On the other, the more she talked about her hobbies outside of her work, the more he started to see that she wasn't the type of girl you brought home to mother. Apparently, she had even dabbled in witchcraft in her teenage years. She definitely had a spookier side.

Seigfried let his eyes wander the room. The library on its own was bigger than his apartment, and he wondered how someone could read all of the books on their own. Sophitia and Kilik were perusing some of the old manuscripts that made up the Valentine's prized collection. All of these books were kept in glass display cases that no one was allowed to open. Rock was sitting opposite Seigfried in the semi-circle of armchairs around the fireplace, jotting something down in a PDA. Whatever it was, he looked pretty focused. Maxi was sitting beside Ivy and flirting with her relentlessly. Amazingly, she seemed responsive, always matching one of his cocky but humorous remarks with one of her own.

Ivy had her legs folded toward Maxi, showing them off a little bit, and Seigfried took a moment to admire the view discreetly. She must have seen him though, because when Maxi turned to refill his glass with brandy, she turned her head a little to Seigfried and winked at him. He got the distinct feeling as he covered up his faint blush by drinking that having him stare at her and Maxi hitting on her was nothing new to Ivy, and she even seemed to be getting some amusement out of it. Again, the type of girl you don't take home to mother.

He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Taki silently stride in. "Evening," he greeted her pleasantly. "Didn't know you were gonna join us. Cognac?" he offered, gesturing toward the tray on the end table beside him, which still had the decanter and a spare glass.

Taki merely glanced at his glass and then looked at him. He really didn't like where this was going and felt himself getting angry over the condescension he knew he was about to receive. "I thought you went to Alcoholics Anonymous," she said coldly.

He raised a brow at her and frowned. "Yeah. I quit after two meetings." He knew his tone was just challenging her to say something, but it came out before he could stop it.

Of course, it hurt worse than he could have imagined when she said nothing. She merely rolled her eyes and quietly scoffed. _That_ hurt worse than any words she could have possibly said. At least then he would know she thought enough of him to actually bother speaking to him. But no, she didn't even want to waste her breath on him to even so much as ask why he quit.

He knew he was going to regret this, but he couldn't hold it back anymore. She had been treating him like slime for six months, and he'd had enough. "You know what, lady... fuck you."

Taki's eyes widened and snapped back to him. Ivy and Maxi stopped their conversation and turned to him. The only sound anymore was the popping of the logs in the fire. "What did you say to me?" Taki asked in shock.

"Fuck... you," Seigfried repeated as he stood up. "Do you know why I quit AA? It wasn't because I couldn't hack it, but because it's a fucking cult!" His voice had risen to the quickly where he was now shouting. He was so furious that he was surprised his sentences were coming out so coherent. "Alcoholism is not a disease, and you don't cure it by apologizing! It's a damn behavior, and you just stop drinking so fucking much! Today is the first time I've touched alcohol in three months, three god damn months! I'm here because I wanted to enjoy a small drink with good company. But with you around, that idea has gone to hell!" He shotgunned the last of his cognac down and practically slammed the glass back down on the tray. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's several more German stereotypes I have to live up to for you to talk down to me about." With that, he stormed past Taki and out of the library. He vaguely heard Maxi calling after him, but he was out in the hall and didn't care what direction he was going by the time the voices became too weak to differentiate.

Right now, he just wanted to be alone. Why did he let that woman affect him? She was such a bitch, her opinion should mean dick to him. So why was he trying to fight back the sting of those tears in his eyes?

**-x-**

Taki just stared in mute shock. Schtauffen had never lashed out at anyone like that. She hadn't even said anything and he just blew up. There was no way he only had one drink if he was acting like that.

"What on earth did you do to him?" Ivy asked in disbelief.

Taki's shock was moved from Schtauffen to their hostess. "I didn't do anything," she replied evenly. "He must have had too much to drink."

"Taki..." Maxi piped up. "That was his first glass. The servants didn't bring the stuff in until a minute ago."

Taki felt an uncomfortable pang in her chest. Had she really been that rude to him? She had a hard time imagining that he was so thin-skinned. The man was obviously deeply troubled, but why was he getting emotional over it? And until now she didn't think he had enough spine to lash out like that.

"I'm very disappointed in you." Sophitia's voice was like a knife in Taki's ears. She turned to face her employer and sister in all but blood in confusion. "You haven't listened to me at all, have you?" She had the tone of a mother scolding a child, and her brow was knit in stark disapproval.

Taki's mind was reeling. Everyone was taking Schtauffen's side, and she couldn't understand for the life of her why. He snapped at her, damn it! "What?"

"He's right, you know," Kilik added as he walked up from behind Sophitia. "Maxi and I went with him to that first AA meeting for support after Xianghua and I persuaded him to go. We were wrong to try and talk him into it. They tell you to admit to your own helplessness, apologize to a higher power, beg for deliverance from your disease, then repeat the process all over again. That's the 12-step plan in a nutshell."

Maxi stood up now in Schtauffen's defense. "He quit because he figured Kilik and I would be better support for getting sober than a bunch of fanatics. And I can't blame him. Those people gave me the creeps."

All of this information was hitting Taki like a fist. She never knew that was what went on in those meetings. All her life she'd heard the rhetoric that alcoholism was a disease. And that's when Schtauffen's words started to sink in. _'It's a damn behavior, and you just stop drinking so fucking much!'_ Had she really been wrong about this the whole time? About him?

"He's not weak, Taki," Sophitia stated firmly.

At that point, Taki wasn't really sure what to think. She had thought she had it all figured out. And now... Schtauffen... That man was so confusing.

**-x-**

Xianghua was on her way to the library to join the others when she saw Seigfried storming down the hallway, his face bright red. "Seigfried? What's wrong?"

"I don't wanna fuckin' talk about it!" he snapped and stomped past her. She was a little hurt by his outburst, but she was also worried about him. What could have gotten him so upset? He stopped a few steps away and heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry... Kinda having a bad night."

"What happened?" It was probably the last question he wanted to answer, but she had to try anyway.

For a while he said nothing. He just looked at her over his shoulder. Xianghua had gone to hang out with him and Kilik several times before. She'd grown fond of him, always thinking of him as her big brother on the trip. But she'd also learned that there were a lot of things hurting him that he never wanted to talk about. Like something was eating him alive. But even in his worst moods, she'd never seen him so angry. "I just want to get some rest now. We'll talk later." With that, he skulked off down the hall and vanished around the corner.

Confused, she headed toward the library, hoping that someone could put the story together for her. She rounded the last corner from the directions the servants told her to take when she saw Taki pass from a set of double doors, her composure looking a little shaken. "Taki? Taki, what happened to Seigfried?"

Much to her annoyance, Taki didn't answer the question. She just asked another. "Where did he go?"

Sighing Xianghua crossed her arms. "To his room, I guess. He seemed pretty upset and wouldn't talk to me. What exactly...?" She trailed off from asking as Taki turned and walked in the opposite direction that Seigfried had gone. Though Xianghua admired the woman's cool, tough girl attitude, she was very difficult to talk to.

Not wanting to give up, Xianghua walked into the library to see everyone gathered around the fire. "Can someone please tell me just what happened here?"

"Sexual tension, it seems," Ivy answered.

**-x-**

Kilik was a little skeptical at first of Ivy's theory, even the next morning as he got dressed and ready to go down to breakfast. He recalled her words last night.

_"Seigfried is a very handsome young man. If he were a little older, I'd have jumped him by now. Taki sees it, too. But I think she considered him too spineless until tonight. It's pretty obvious she's never had someone stand up to her like that."_

Sophitia seemed to agree with her, though she wasn't too vocal about it. Ivy was a very interesting woman. She was more open about herself and her sexuality than any other woman he'd known. Naturally, Maxi was very appreciative of that, but that wasn't important. It still boggled Kilik's mind to think there was sexual tension between Seigfried and Taki. True, Seigfried had made no attempt to cover up that he found Taki to be extremely physically attractive, but despite his best attempts at civility, the two of them got along about as well bunnies and pit bulls. They seemed engaged in a perpetual one-upmanship with each other.

Still... last night was very strange. It was the first time Seigfried had stood up for himself like that. And that look of shock and confusion on Taki's face was the first time Kilik had ever seen that stoic mask of hers crack.

The images continued to flit across his mind as he made his way to the dining hall. When he got there, Ivy was already at her seat at the head with Sophitia next to her, chatting about the plans for that day. Rock was at the adjacent corner, eating slowly and evenly. The man had a true athlete's breakfast set before him, and made Kilik feel a little self-conscious thinking about how good the bacon smelled. Taki was of course next to Sophitia, and Xianghua was beside Rock. She spotted Kilik and waved him over with one of her cheerful smiles. He returned the gesture and walked over to sit beside her. That girl could see the bright side to midnight in a coal chute. "Morning," he said pleasantly.

"Good morning to you," she beamed back. She then sobered a little and whispered, "Have you seen Seigfried since last night?"

Before Kilik had a chance to answer, the young German stepped into the room. His hair was still wet from a shower, and his clothes looked as if they'd been placed on rather haphazardly. In fact, he wasn't even bothering to dress up as he had done yesterday. Right now he was in his combat boots, jeans, and Savatage T-shirt. He also looked a little somber, as if he had just gotten back from a concert and was still hungover. Without a word, he just sat beside Kilik and started shoveling food at random onto his plate.

Kilik looked at Xianghua who returned the concerned expression before they both turned to Seigfried. "You okay?" she asked softly.

"Didn't sleep so good," he muttered as he brushed a loose lock of damp blonde hair behind his ear.

Last night must have hit him harder than Kilik first thought. He just ate mechanically as if still half-asleep, never making eye contact with anyone. It wasn't that he was trying not to; he just didn't seem to care. A quick look around the table and Kilik saw that most everyone else was glancing at Seigfried, but obviously didn't want to bug him about it. Except Taki. She was staring right at him with her face schooled to an emotionless mask.

Well, no sense making a scene and pressing the issue. Taking after Rock, Kilik decided to eat a healthier meal than he was originally planning. He had already indulged himself last night, and in hindsight he was feeling a little disappointed in himself for thinking he could make another exception to his eating habits. He'd been studying martial arts since he was eight years old, and took his health very seriously. He never ate anything very fattening without promising himself that he'd put in an extra hour at the gym or in practice that same day.

Maxi joined the table a few minutes later. He noticed the somber attitude surrounding Seigfried. Kilik was dreading his friend saying something stupid and bringing up the events last night. When Maxi nudged Seigfried in the side and whispered to him, "Hey... dude..." he was about to interrupt when Maxi finished his sentence. "You're a lucky bastard. Ivy told us she thinks you're hot. You're money, dude, _totally money!"_

There was a split second of tension before Seigfried's face split into a huge smile and he started laughing. "Vegas, baby, Vegas! Pound it." He and Maxi hit each other's fists and resumed laughing. Kilik couldn't help laughing himself. He should have known. He didn't give Maxi enough credit sometimes.

"You boys are so cute with your little routines," Xianghua giggled.

"This is no routine," Maxi said dismissively, no longer bothering to whisper. "A routine would be if Seig, Kilik, Rock, and yours truly all got up and started making poses." With that, he pushed back his chair back and started flexing. Another chorus of laughs erupted from the table. This time, even Sophitia was giggling. Rock had a rumbling chuckle like distant thunder, and Ivy had a very musical laugh.

Taki was the only one who wasn't laughing, but then Kilik didn't think he'd ever seen her laugh. As things calmed down and they continued the meal discussing their plans, he noticed Xianghua had moved a little closer so that their legs were touching. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled softly.

**-x-**

Around eleven o'clock, Seigfried stepped out of the limousine and adjusted his cap as the wind started to blow harder around them. The chilly winter air was bitter and the skies grey, but the cold didn't bother him that much. The group was in for a small hike. According to Ivy, the Valentine's owned the land for sometime, but they hadn't done much with it for generations. The last use anyone got out of it was her great great grandfather using it for a foxhunt one summer. The area they were investigating in particular was a rocky, forested area. Everyone was bundled up for the trip, but kept a few reference materials close at hand.

The winter forest was both beautiful and foreboding at the same time. The bare, snow-covered trees glimmered in the muted sunlight, but at the same time seemed to be trying to form a barrier from prying eyes. "What are we here to find, exactly?" Seigfried asked.

"I'm following up a story from my grandfather's journals," Ivy responded. "Miss Alexandra already knows all the details. You see... this land was once inhabited by Pagan refugees. And we have reason to believe that my ancestors were part of a Gnostic cult that gave them protection from religious persecution."

Sophitia drew the hood of her parka up further against the cold and picked up where Ivy left off. "There's supposed to be a ring of standing stone around here somewhere. There are reports that the Sword of Salvation once crossed through the British Isles."

"'And along the east, they discovered a tribe of heathens in a ceremony of flames. So did the dread pirates' crew set to land and slaughter them to slake their thirst for blood,'" Ivy said softly. "Chapter 16 of the 'The Stage of History.' My family owns one of the few copies written in the Old Italian. And based on the writings of that chapter, we think that they were speaking of my family's lands."

"Why here?" Kilik asked. "Why not in... Scotland for example?"

"Too far north," Ivy answered.

They continued walking through the snow for what felt like the entire day, but was only an hour. Rock was continually checking a GPS in his palm pilot, which Seigfried guessed was what he had been working on last night. Ivy's bodyguard was a man of few words, it seemed. Though there was a very bright spark of intelligence behind his eyes. Definitely someone you'd want by your side, because if he was behind you, your ass better be scared. "We're almost there. The clearing should be ahead thirty yards." His tone of voice was very authoritative. Perhaps a part of him had never left the military.

Moments later, the group emerged in a large clearing in the woods with a set of tall standing stones arranged in a semi-circle. In the middle of the circle was a stone altar. "It's like a henge..." Kilik muttered.

There was a morbid silence surrounding the area. The wind seemed to have stilled, and no birds were chirping. The grey stones stood like snowy, weatherworn tombstones to a forgotten people. Everyone seemed to be treading reverently, and for Seigfried it evoked memories of his first visit to Ohstreinsberg Castle. A feeling of timelessness pervaded the area, as if centuries and days all passed in the same breath. "I knew I was right," Ivy stated with a soft pride.

The group drew closer to inspect the remains. Maxi's fingers traced over one of the stones and his eyes narrowed. "There's writing on this. It's faded, but it looks like ancient Gaelic. I can't really tell if it's Irish, Scotch, or Welsh, though..."

"Probably Irish," Ivy offered as she went to join him. "Many of my family's ancestors were Irish themselves."

Seigfried encircled the semi-circle, taking in as many details as he could. "It seems all of them have some writing on them, though it's worn pretty badly. We should- oof!" He was cut off in mid-sentence as he tripped and nearly fell on a stone buried in the snow. He muttered off a few curses before he noticed something peculiar about the shape of the snow. It seemed to be raised in a four-foot wide ring with a depression in the middle. He looked behind himself and noticed a similar shape on the opposite side of the standing stones. The two rings seemed to form a gateway of sorts.

"You all right?" Xianghua called out as she strode up to him.

"I'm fine, but take a look at this." He kneeled in the snow and began dusting off the ring with his gloved hands. In a moment, he had uncovered a short wall of stones that formed the ring. There was a piece missing from the top and the stone Seigfried had tripped over fit into place reasonably well. "Well that explains that. Ivy did you say something about a ceremony of flames?"

Ivy looked up from her inspection of the writings with Maxi and walked closer to Seigfried and Xianghua. "Yes. Why?"

"I think I found a pair of bonfire rings... I think the fire ceremony spoken of in 'The Stage of History' was Samhain."

"Technically," Rock added, "it's pronounced 'SOW-ine.'" He then paused as Seigfried gave him a rather flat look. "Though Samhain is an acceptable Anglicized version used by many Neopagans."

"Miss Valentine!" Taki called out. Everyone looked up to see her and Sophitia inspecting the altar in the center of the clearing. "There's a seam in the stones. I think it can be moved."

Seigfried stood and brushed his coat off. He jogged over to the altar to take a closer look, and sure enough he saw a seam in the stones that would make the top of the altar a lid. "Do you think we should try to open it?"

"We're here to investigate any possible clue," Sophitia stated. "If there's even a possibility of this being one, we need to try."

Ivy nodded to Rock who left the group. They spent the next two hours investigating the site and trying to clear out snow as they waited for Rock to return with any equipment they'd need. When he finally did return, it didn't make the going a hell of a lot easier. Even with the combined strength of the team, the stone slab still didn't want to move and the ground around it needed to be cleared to work more efficiently in.

The group decided to work in shifts with Ivy overseeing the process. Rock was rather insistent on it, as a matter of fact. Having a bodyguard must be nice, Seigfried caught himself thinking. He, Sophitia and Rock took the first shift and about 45 minutes trying to get the damn thing to move. They had some progress, but it was going to be a while before they got it off.

As the rest of the team moved in take over their shift, Seigfried took his coat off, feeling very stuffy and sweaty in it all of a sudden. He wiped sweat from his brow and caught Ivy looking at him from the corner of her eye and smiling. "Hey, uh..." He figured it couldn't hurt to ask. "You really think I'm hot?"

Ivy let a very seductive chuckle slip out of her throat. "Very. As I'm sure most women do."

Seigfried laughed and blushed slightly when the loud grinding of stone on stone caught his ears. "I think... we've got it," Taki grunted as she used a prybar to try and widen a gap between the lid and a hollow space in the altar.

Seigfried quickly slipped his coat back and went to help. "Hang on!" He grabbed up a prybar of his own and tried to force the short side out a little. "Don't wanna... damage it. Try to turn it..." In his efforts, he bumped into Taki and felt a very strong desire to look up at her. He pushed the urge back down however and continued his work. A part of him said he should apologize for the way he blew up at her last night, but the other was saying he shouldn't have to apologize for standing up for himself. Either way, it was kind of bad timing to be thinking about this.

Working together, they all managed to push the lid off slightly and turned it around. As they all stopped to catch their breath and work out their aching muscles, Ivy peered inside. She blanched and her eyes widened. She quickly reached into her pockets and dug out a handful of pentangle amulets. "Everyone put these on! Now!" She tossed them out at the crew who were surprised by her sudden behavior, though Rock seemed to accept and placed his on without hesitation. The rest of the group was soon to follow and got up to see what the big deal was.

"Good god..." Seigfried breathed. Lying within the empty altar was a human skeleton. Wrapped in its arms was a rectangular box sealed in wax.

**-x-**

Taki wasn't aware that the Lady Valentine was a Pagan herself. She thought the woman was agnostic. But it seems that once again she was wrong. And once again, Miss Alexandra had already known. The Lady was most insistent that everyone wear their pentangles for the time being. She brought them just in case something drastic happened, and in her eyes this met the requirements. She had called in her servants to bring transportation for the skeleton and the box it carried. Multiple photos were taken before the servants arrived, and soon enough the team found themselves back at the mansion.

They were all waiting in the library for news. All except Xianghua and Rock of course. Rock went wherever Miss Valentine went, and Xianghua was the group's expert on anthropology. It was early on in the expedition, so this discovery was very big news. What remained to be seen was what it meant, though.

Taki looked up to see Schtauffen standing by the window, staring out over the grounds of the estate. She had overheard his conversation (such as it was) with the Lady Valentine at the henge. For some reason, it caused an uncomfortable stirring in her stomach to think of it. She wanted to tell herself that she was disappointed to see the woman's bad taste in men, but that would be a lie. He was indeed very handsome. The sun was starting to come out from behind the clouds and caused his hair to shimmer like gold. The way he was dressed, he seemed more like a rock star than an archeologist.

She shook her head to clear it. Never once had she imagined she'd be having thoughts like that about Seig- about Schtauffen. She went over to take a seat beside Sophitia and sighed lightly.

"You still owe him an apology," Sophitia said gently. Taki knew exactly who and what she was talking about. She merely nodded and leaned back in her chair. She steepled her fingers in a gesture that mimicked Sophitia and closed her eyes to think. After a moment, she opened one eye a little to see that Schtauffen still hadn't moved. Not once in the whole day had he made eye contact with her. She knew that he was always stealing glances at her, knew he found her attractive, or as Maxi so eloquently put it "extremely fuckable." And as much as she hated men leering at her, the sudden feeling of Schtauffen freezing her out was bothering her more than she'd ever admit out loud.

Her train of thought was interrupted when Xianghua stepped back into the library. "Well, I've got some good news and some bad news," she said wearily.

"May as well give us the bad news first," Maxi chimed in as he walked over from the opposite side of the library.

"The bad news is that one of the items in the box we found has Ivy spooked. She believes it's cursed and wants to put it in a reliquary ASAP to protect the estate." Taki could tell that the girl was trying hard to say with a straight face, as she found the superstitious practices of the Lady Valentine to be nonsense. Not that she could be blamed. Their hostess was a bit of an eccentric after all.

Kilik raked a hand back through his shaggy hair and sighed in what sounded like exasperation. "And the good news?"

"We have a new lead on the Sword of Salvation."

**-x-**

**Author's Notes:** And the plot thickens! I wanted to amp up the tension between Seigfried and Taki some more. Setting things up for the next couple chapters. Since the two of them are the focal characters of the plot, I'm naturally going to spend more time on them, though I hope to get some better characterization for Kilik and Xianghua in the next chapter.

I have a rough outline of where I want to take this, though it is all subject to change as it goes along. Either way, I _do know_ where I want to take this. The getting there is the fun part.

Support Seigfried/Taki! I refuse to believe I'm the only one who thinks they'd make a good couple.


End file.
